From its Arabic origin, the word ‘Zakat’ means blessing, growth, and purification. Very much like the plant, which grows back stronger and healthier following being trimmed, our own wealth is purified and blessed through giving to others.

In Islamic literature, Zakat is mentioned as the obligatory charity which is established to help the needy and poor. This means that it is not just about providing short-term relief. Your Zakat has the power to change lives. Across the globe, your Zakat donations are sending children to school; providing life-saving support during emergencies; giving clean and safe water to communities; supporting eye care operations in remote communities, and providing food to those who otherwise would have none.

So what exactly is Zakat and how is it calculated accurately?

Zakat is obligatory upon every sane, Muslim adult who owns above a specific amount of wealth. By this definition, children, those who are mentally unstable, and those who do not meet the minimum threshold are exempt. The minimum threshold varies each year, but is broadly understood to be the equivalent of either 87.48g of gold, or of 612.36g of silver in cash or bank accounts. One’s personal home, furniture, cars, food and clothing do not contribute to the minimum threshold amount.

Figuring out exactly how much Zakat you have to pay can get a bit confusing. Penny Appeal have developed a super simple and easy-to-use Zakat calculator, which does all the hard work for you! Just head over to https://zakatcalculator.co.uk/ to take a look.

You don’t have to pay your Zakat all at once, which means you can choose to spread out your payments throughout the year using direct debits or otherwise.

With Ramadan around the corner, this is the perfect time to think about how to make the most of your zakat. Begin the Holy month in the best of ways – by fulfilling the beautiful pillar of Zakat and saving lives across the globe.

What kind of things can be achieved with my Zakat?

Penny Appeal has a 100% Zakat policy. This means that every single penny of your Zakat donation will go directly to those who need it most, 100% of the time – and so you’ll reap 100% of the reward every single time.

At Penny Appeal, your donations go a long way. Our way of doing things is simple – we use your small change to make a BIG difference. Here are just a few ways that your Zakat is saving lives across the globe:

There are approximately 153 million children worldwide who are orphans. That’s millions of young children who need safe, loving environments and support to access their basic rights of education, healthcare, food and shelter. Just 50p a day provides a vulnerable orphan the chance to break out of poverty. Your donation will help provide them with nutritious food, a dedicated foster mother, access to quality education, new clothes and access to healthcare and medical support. Be orphan kind and Click Here to sponsor an orphan today.

Over 780 million people across the world don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water, and three children die every minute from drinking dirty water. You can bring a stop to this. £300 or just 83p a day can provide the gift of water for an entire community. Building a well will have a lasting impact, serving communities for years to come, and bringing you great rewards each time somebody uses it. Donate today and build a well in your name or that of a loved one.

Millions of people across the globe with visual impairments are living in the dark, isolated from the rest of the World. Their eyesight could be restored with simple eye checks, medication or operations. Just £5 a month can provide an entire eye treatment, giving someone the gift of sight. Donate today to Open Your Eyes.

Some 790 million people don’t have enough food to lead a healthy life. Each year, Penny Appeal’s Feed Our World programme provides millions of life-saving, nutritious meals to the poor and needy, helping to combat hunger poverty in crisis-hit countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Just £30 will provide 30 meals for needy people across the globe. Donate now to Feed Our World.

Disasters can strike at any time with no prior warning, taking precious lives and leaving entire communities with nothing. Across the world, on-going conflict has reduced villages to rubble and left families without food, water, shelter or access to medical aid. Supporting our Emergency Response project will help us be there in times of urgent need. Donate Now and help the people of Syria.

Just £50 will provide a family with food for an entire month in war-torn Syria, which has been described as one of the worst humanitarian crisis of modern history. Just £350 or 95p a day will provide blankets, clothes and hygiene kits for a family from the Rohingya community, who are facing massive persecution. Donate now to Emergency Response.

With Penny Appeal, not only is your religious obligation being fulfilled – your Zakat is saving lives, empowering communities and offering children a brighter future.

Penny Appeal is a humanitarian charity, launched in 2009. Our way of doing charity is simple and has a massive impact. We make charitable giving affordable and rewardable, ensuring everyone can help those in desperate need by donating just a few pennies each day. Our work is making a difference in the UK, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our programmes provide water solutions, mass feedings, orphan care, emergency food and medical aid in disaster and conflict-affected areas. Individual projects comprise a mixture of emergency support, short and long-term relief aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty. In the UK, the charity creates tailored projects to support hard to reach and disadvantaged communities including homeless people and victims of domestic abuse. www.pennyappeal.org

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